Method and apparatus for covering rings



Dec. 11, 1923. 1,476,807

1 a. A. EVANS ET AL.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COVERING RINGS Filed Jan. 23. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l'//////l// 7 buern tars 15? flfi'zrans. 22 1 Zww Zen Dec. 11, 1923. 1,476,807

B. A. EVANS ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COVERING RINGS Filed Jan. 23, 1920 2 Sheets-Shem 2 [22 zmn Jars. 5.11IEU'8IZ8 A v f. Zwislefl 52 I g Murm Patented Dec. 11, 1923.

UNITED STATES BENJAMIN A. EVANS AND IRVIN ZWISLER,

GOODRICH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK,

01 AKRON. OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE B. I. N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COVERING RINGS.

Application filed January 23, 1920. Serial 110 358521.

To all Ultonl it may com-err):

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN A. EVANS and Iuvm Zwistnu, citizens of the United States. residing at Akron. in the count of Summit and State of Ohio, he re invented a certain new and useful Method and Apparatus for Covering Rings, of which the following is'a specification.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for applying acovering, such as a strip of fabric, or a plastic substance such as vulcanizable rubber in stri form, or both, to a ring, and more particularly to u flexible wire ring, our invention being especially directed to the production of inextensible bead-cores for pneumatic tire casings, and our object being to save time and secure a better product as compared with prior modes of performing this work.

Of the accompanyin drawings:

Fig. l is a front eevation showing, an apparatus embodying and adapted to carry out our invention, the Work being shown in process of being operated on.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken on the line 2-4! of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan View thereof with a part of the ring and coverin c strip broken away to show the cover-folding and forming tools.

F ig. 4 is a reverse plan view of a portion of the table, showing means for operating the tool-carrying plates.

Figs. 5 to inclusive are transverse sectional views illustrating the several steps in the method of combining the filler and fabric cover with a cable ring; to make a bead core in accordance with our invention.

Figs. 11 and 12 are views corresponding to F1 s. 7 and 8 showing the use of a modified mm of filler.

In the drawin 10 is an endless. twisted or cabled, wire, exible rin adapted to form the inextensible element oi a bead core, and 11 is a grooved Strip of vulcunizable rubber compound or other suitable plastic filler, which is brought to the machine superhuosed upon a stri 12 of bias-cut rubberized abric whose wi th is suliicient to enclose the wire .2" and filler 'when folded thereover, said ler being preferably placed sliizhtl .nearer one edge of the strip than the at or, as shown, so as to leave a relatively-mrrow margin 18 and a wider margin 14.

15 is an upwardly-inclined guide base on which are mounted suitable strip guides includin a pair of side plates 16 which are lateral y ad'ustable to accommodate coverstrips of di erent widths. 17 is a substantially-fiat horizontal table or base on which the strip-folding tools or rollers are mounted. The lower part of the ring 10 is supported by this table or by the laminated strip, and its upper part is supported by two rollers 18, 19 carried by brackets 20 adjustably mounted on standards 21, located in the rear of the table 17, these u per guide rollers bein so positioned that t e ring is inclined bac lrwardly from the operator in a plane between the vertical and the horizontal. 22 is the bed-plate suppdrting the table and standards.

In order to facilitate the application of the covering materials to the wire cable ring, and also in order to utilize the resil; iency of said ring in embeddin the ring firm y in the groove 27 of the'iller strip 11, the lower portion of the' ring is straightened or has its curvature reduced by means of spaced rollers 23, 24 which cooperate with the table in flattening the normal arc of said ring. These rollers are mounted on supporting brackets 25, 26, and the bracket for the roller 23 is vertically ad'ust able so that the course of the, work on eaving the covering, devices may be slightly varied. The roller on the bracket 26 and is normally held in operative position by a cam lever 26.

A cylindrical roller 28 mounted on the table at the summit of the inclined guide base 15 guides the strip into contact with the ring and provides a firm base on which the ring is pressed into the filler. The first of the coverrfolding tools consists of u cylindrical-waisted grooved roller 29 which turns up the margins of the fabric stri 12 while leaving its midddle portion flat. he next folding instrumentality consists of a pair of substnntiallj frusto-conical rollers 3O. 31 mounted on vertical axes with their smaller ends downward, said smallerends being slightly flanged and adapted to be driven by contact with the lower angles or corners of the dpartly-turned fabric strip which are backe by the plastic filler, while their flared up or portions initiate the folding inward o &e loose margins of the fabric.

24 is pivotallv mounted.

strip and rotate at a greater peripheral speed than the speed of the fabric so as to exert a forward-wiping action on its margins. The third folding instrumcntality comprises a pair of cyhndrical rollers 33, 34

having their axes inclined upwardly toward each other, and mounted one slightly in ad vance of the other, which then press the margins of the cover against the ca de. The fourth folding tool is a horizontal cylindrical roller 35 carried by a downwardly springprcsscd pivoted arm 36 for compress inc; the scam formed by the edges of the fabric which have been brought into partly lapped relation by the rollers 33, 34. and the fifth tool is a horizontal grooved roller 37 which rolls down he free. overlapping edge 33' to perfect the seam. rollers are journalcd to rotate freely.

pivotally mounted on a support 39 and is normally held in its operative position by a, pair of springs 40. but said arm and roller may, when the work is to be inserted and removed. l shifted to an inoperative position as indicated by the broken lines inFig. ll means of a lever 41 pivotally mounted n thsupport. 39 and having a roller 42 which contacts with a cam surface 43 on the lower side of the arm. One function of the roller 37 is to act as a feed roller for the Work in conjunction with a lower positively-driven cylindrical roller 44 against which the grooved roller yieldingly presses the covered ring. said roller 44 being attached to a shaft 44 on the outer end of which is a hand crank 43 for turning the shaft and roller.

The jom-nal-studs of the respective positelylisposed rollers 30, 31 and 33, 34 are mounted on a pair of plates 46 which are pivoted at 49 on the upper side of the table. Each plate 46 is made in two parts as indicated in Fig. 1. the upper part which carries the rollers being detaehably secured by screws 47 ('Fig. 3) to the lower part which carries the studs hereinafter mentioned. so that a. different set of rollers 30. 31, 33, 34 may be readily substituted when desired. Studs 50 and 51 carried by the lower men1- .bers of the plates 46 project downwardly through'slots :32 and 53 in the table. and the studs-50 are connected by a coiled spring 54. The studs 51 also project through a pair of cam slots 55 in a lever 56 which is pivotally mounted at 57 on the under side of the table, said studs 51 and the plates 46 and rollers 30. 31, 33, 34 carried thereby being spread apart by a clockwise rotation ofthe lever 56 as viewed from below in Fig. l. Recesse's 60 in the walls 59 of the slots .33 occupied by the studs 51 when they reach the outer ends of said slots, serve automatically to hold the plates 46 and their rollers in this inoperative position when it is desired to insert or remove the work.

Al. of these, angular in crosssection, Roller 37 is carried by the arm 36 whlch IS A small roller 61 (Fig. 3) is shown on one of the plates 46 beyond the grooved roller 29. and is found to assist in turning the inner margin l3 of heavy strips as they pass from said roller 29 to the wiping roller 30 which is to turn under said margin to form the lower ply of the seam.

n making some oversize tires :1 finished bead core having an obtuse angle over the wire ring 10 (which angle will be at the heel of the bead in the tire) will fit more readily between the plies of the fabric used in the tire carcass and leave a minimum air space about the core. The rolls 33. 34 in that case may be set to press the filler 11 to the desired shape on the wire rin but, it has been found preferable to use a filing strip 62, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, substantially triand to turn the wire ring in such air pocket 63 between margin 14 over onto the manner as to leave an the thin edge 64 of the filler, the cov r margin 14 and the wire ring. This form of head maybe rolled to final shape and the air pocket removed by a bead-shaping apparatus such as is shown in Butlers Patent No. 1,318,643 of 0ctober 14, 1919. Vi e prefer also to finish bead cores such as shown in Fig. 10 on a machine of that type when it s considered necessary to have the filler rolled to a sharp edge.

\Vhen operatingthe machine on the lighter bead-cores used in small tires, the Wirc-rin; bending roller 24 is left in its operative position and a wire rin, is placed under the roller 23 and bent down alone the table until it can be caught under the roller :24. If a wire ring is too stitl' to be bent onto the table in this manner the roller 24 is first, raised by releasing the cam lever 26' and swinging thc roller upwardly, the ring is placed on the table under the rollers 23 and 24 and the, lattcr is then moved to its operative position and the cam 26 lowered to hold it down. A rubberized covering strip 12 carrying a filler strip l1 as dcscrihcd is placed between the guides on the inclined base 15. and the margins of the fabric at its leading end are lapped by hand over the inside of the wire ring. The crank 45 is then turned to move the ring circlunfercntiallv. feed the covering strip longitudinally onto the ring and draw the straightened portion of the ring (embedded in the plastic filler) between the fabric-foldin; and fillci shaping rollers. The grooved roller 29 gives the fabric strip a trough shape to initiate the folding thereof. and the conical rollers 30. 3| turn over the cover margins and exert a forward-wiping: action thereon in the manner already described. their flared Upper portions, which are travclin,' somewhat l'a ter than the fair ric strip. frictionallv engaging the tacky surfaces of the strip and l'oldiin its margins o er without wrinkling the fabric or lUO doubling up the thin edges of the filler strip. The cylindrical rollers 33, 34 press the margins of the strip against the wire ring, and exert a progremive squeezing action on two sides of the filler,.thus rolling the whole into triangular shape. The rollers 35 and 37 respectively lap the edge of the strip and roll down the seam, thus completinq the enclosure of the cable in a tubular covering. After a ring is covered, the levers 41 and 56 are operated to move the tools controlled by them to their inoperative positions while the covered ring is being replaced by an uncovered one, whereupon the tools are again moved to their ring-engaging positions.

The flattening or straightening of the porition of the ring where the covering strip is applied not only causes the ring to bear heavily upon the driving roller 44, due to.

the rlngs resilience, and thereby compress the filler and afford a good driving contact without such pressure from the opposite roller 37 at the sharp heel of the head as might unduly deform the work, but such straightening also eliminates for the moment. the diflerenee in its inner and outer peripheral lengths, so that it will receive the longitudinal covering strip snugly about it and permit it to be rolled without wrinkling or buckling such as would be likely to occur at the inner periphery in the application of such a cover to a curved sector of the ring, due to the relatively short longitudinal dimension of the inner periphery as compared with the outer. Such straightening also permits the application of the covering strip at one side of the crown of the ring, placing the greater part of the filler at the flat side opposite the heel of the bead, without re ouiring the covering strip to be bent in a plane oblique to its own plane, as would be necessary if the ring were not Striri htened, such, a bendina operation being di cult to perform without producing: irregularities in the work. The cover-inn st rip being applied first to the broadest side of the head, the greater part of the filler is fed directly to its final position in the bead, and the folding and pressint operations on the two narrower sides are substantially alike. so that direct, normal, balanced, compacting pressurels ap plied to all sides of the work, and the widths of the margins requiring to be folded is rednred to a minimum.

The beadwm'cring material being rolled approximately into its final cross-sectional form whihthe underlying part of the ring is straightened. said covering material, when the ring is subsequently allowed to spring back to its curved form, is compressed uniformly along its inner periphery and by such uniformity of compression, togetherwith its cohesion-"and its adhesion to the nut. irregularity in the form of the bead il avoided It will be understood that many variations in the above-described mechanism could be made without departing from our invention. \Ve claim: v

1. The method of covering a resiliently flexible ring which comprises straightening a portion of the ring, applying a covering, to the portion of the ring w iich is straightened, rolling said covering to shape it about said ring while the underlying part of the ring is so straightened, and thereafter permitting said straightened part of the ring. by its resilience, to resume its normal curvature.

2. The method of covering a resiliently flexible rin which comprises redoing the curvature o succemive portions of said ring, progressivel applying a covering strip longitudinal y to the straightened portion of the ring, laterally folding and compactin said covering strip about said straightened portion, and thereafter permitting saidportion, by its resilience, to resume its normal curvature.

3. The method of covering a flexible ring which comprises circumferentially propelling said ring. reducing the curvature of successive portions thereof, progressively applying to such portions a plastic filler, progressively applying thereto a covering strip, and rollin said covcrin strip to shape it about sai portions while they are so straightened.

4. The method of covering a flexible rin which comprises circumferentially prope ling said ring, reducing the curvature of successive portions thereof, progressivel applying to such portions, longitudinally t me o a covering strip, and progressively folding said strip about said ring to enclose the same.

5. The method of covering a flexible ring which comprises circumfcrentiully propelling said ring. reducing the curvature of successive portions thereof. feeding circumferentially upon said rin at the plu -e where its curvature is IGClIICEKFB compositestrip comprising a covering strip overlaid nith a narrower plastic strip, and" progressively folding together the margins of said covering strip to enclose said ring and plastic strip.

6. The method of covering a flexible ring which comprises circumferentially propelling said ring in a plane inclined from the horizontal, progressively straightening the ioui er iortion of said ring, and progressivey ee on the under side thercofla strip of covering material.

The method of covering a flexible ring which comprises circumferentially propelling-said ring, progressively straightening the lower portion thereo progressively feeding upon the under side of the straighting upon said portion, longitudinally.

ened portion. longitudinally thereof. a strip of plastic material and a strip of covering material. and progressively folding the mar pinsof said stri of eovering material around the plast ie material and over the ring on the upper side f said straightened por tion.

The method of eon-ring a flexible ring which eomprises rireumi'erenthilly propelling said ring in a plane inclined from the h rizontal. progressively straightening sliveessire portions of said ring at the lower side thereof. progressively feeding to the straightened ortion. longitudinally beneath the same. a tiat strip of eorering fabric on \vhieh is superposed a strip of plastic material. giving trough shape to said fabric strip. and progressively folding: its margins over upon said ring and lapping them on the upper side of its said straightened portion.

9. The method of making bead-eores for tires Whirl] comprises eireuniferentially propelling a flexible reinf ireing ring. progressively straightening said ring in a portion of its circumference. progressively feeding to said straightened portion. on its outer side. a falu-ie eorer strip on which is superposed a narrower plastic tiller strip. and progressirely rolling said eover strip into triangular tuhular l'orni about said plastic strip and ring and lapping its edges on the inner side of said ring.

it]. The method of eovering a flexible ring Whieh eomprises moving the ring While reducing the curvature of a portion thereof, progressively feeding a eovering strip onto the ring. and progressively folding the strip about said portion by a forwardniping action exerted on the margins of the strip.

ll. The method of covering a ring which comprises ireumferentially propelling said ring. progressively straightening a portion thereol'. progressirelv feeding a plastic material and a eovering strip onto said portion. giving the said strip a trough shape, and folding the t-orering strip over the plastiifiller and ring ll a lorward-tviping aetion exerted on the margins of said strip.

l2. The method of eonihining an annular, llexihle. metal element with a plastic element liirh e1an irisesprogressively bending a part of the llexihle element to place the ent port ion undera tension. feedinga plastic element onto the flexible element. and holding the plastic element on the flexible element against the tension produced in the bent portion thereof.

1; In apparatus for covering a resilientlv flexible ring. the eonihination of means for rireuuit'erentiallv driving said ring. means for guiding a portion thereof along a straightened path. means for applying a eoverlng t that portion of the ring which is tra vet-sing said path, and means for pressing said covering to shape it. about said portion while the latter traverses said path.

14. In an apparatus of the class described, the eombiln MOI) of means for supporting a flexible ring and for straightening a portion thereof, means for eireumt'erentially moving the ring, and means for folding a longitudinal ('OVtllll'. strip transversely about the straighteneu portion.

15. In a ring-oovering apparatus. the eombination of means for supporting a flexible ring in a plane inclined from the horizontal, means for eircuinferentially propelling said ring. means for reducing the curvature of the lower portion thereof. and means for progressively folding upon said lower portion a longitudinally-fed strip of covering material.

16. In a ring-covering apparatus, the combination of means for supporting 2: flexible ring in a plane inclined from the horizontal, means for reducing the curvature of the lower portion thereof, means for cireumferentially moving the ring, means for guiding a covering stri longitudinally onto the lower side of sai portion, and means for folding the strip about the, inner side of the ring.

17. In a ring-covering apparatus, the combination of means for eireumferentia-lly moving a flexible ring. means for progressively straightening a portion thereof, means for longitudinally guiding to said portion a strip of covering material. and a series of rollers for progressively folding the margins of said strip about the ring.

18. In a ring-covering apparatus, the combination of means for cireumferentially moving a flexible ring. means for straight ening suceessire portions thereof. means for guiding longitudinally onto the straightened portion a strip of covering material. a grooved roller for imparting to the strip a trough shape which initiates the folding of its margins about the ring. means for completing the folding of its margins about- .the ring, means for lapping the edges of the. strip. and means for rolling the seam.

19. In apparatus for covering a resiliently flexible ring to form' a tire-bead of tri angular cross-section. the combination of feeding rollers emhraeing a portion of the eireumferenee of the ring to propel the lat ter through a straightened path and to press a covering strip thereon. means for guiding a covering strip longitudinallv onto the portion of said rmg in said path, on the side thereof corresponding tothe side opposite the heel of the finished bead. and means including a lseries of rollers for progres sively folding the edges of the strip about said ring and 'oinin them in a lapped seam at the heel of tie bead.

20. In up aratus for covering a ring to form a tireead of triangular cross-section,

Ill)

the cnrnbination of means for rotntehly supporting said ring, a pair of rollers, on axes oblique to said ring, adapted lO18IIlbrace a section .of said ring to propel the latter rircumferentielly. means for driving one ofssid rollers, means for guiding a filler strip and a covering strip longitudinally onto the side of said ring which is adjacent one of said rollers and represents the broadest side of the finished head. opposite the heel and means for folding said covering strin laterally about said ring endfiller strip and joining its edges in a lapped seam, one of said rollers having a cylindrical working surface adapted to shape said side of the head opposite the heel and the other of said rollers having a, grooved 'Qliliiilg surfers adapted to embrai-e the heel corner of the head.

21. In. a ring wvering apparatus, the combination of means for circnmferentially prnpolling n flexihlo 'ing, means for guiding a portion of said ring in a straightened path, means for guiding a strip of covering material longitudinally onto the straight oned portion, and means including devires for surfing it forn'nrdwiping action upon the margins of snicl strip for ielding sa d min-gins progressively about the ring.

22. In :1 ringrovering machine: the reinliinntinn of menus l'wr rircinnferentinliy pmpellin u llrxililn ring. menus for guiding a porlim: .lwreof in n straightened with. and means for guiding A strip of covering mm lrriel longitudinally onto snid ring and folding its margins about the latter. the lastsnid moans llll llfiliflg a grooved roller for imparting n trmn h shape to the strip roller for folding the sides of the strip over i :in apex and reusing tlwin in as ume :1 hipped roluiion und roller menus" (or pressing down the lapped edges in form av Seiko-u.

ln n ring rorering apparatus the eoniivinuiinn mi means for straightening 2i. poi'iion of a flexible ring, menus for guiding a strip of cove-ring material lOlljJitmlh null onto the straightened portion, means for folding suid sirip trinn :ulurly about said pnrtinn and causing its edges in nwunin n lnppwl r lation. means for initially rolling down siiiil i-ilgi-s in form n swim, lillll :1 pair of ring mid strip {veiling rollers invluiling n grown! roller For i-oinplriinir the rollingd wn oi s-iiiil seam.

24' ln :1 i'ing-imiling apparatus flu romhinutinn of means for supporting it flexible ring in a plane inclined between the verti cal and horizontal means for guiding thrlowvr portion of said ring in u straightened path, a lower and an upper feed roller engaging suid p rtioin t nlnwer roller lining substantially oylindrirnl and the upper one lei-ml i i grooved marine for guiding longitudinally un-on the straightened portion of said ring a strip of covering material and means for folding the margins of sai strip triangularly about the ring and lapping them on the inner side thereof before reachin said rollers.

25. In it ring-rolling apparatus the combination of means for supporting a flexible ring in a plane inclined between the vertical and the horizontal, means for guiding the lower portion of said ring in a straightened path, means for uiding longitudinally onto the lower side 0? said portion at strip of covering material, a, grooved roller for turning up the margins of said strip. lesv= in the middle fiat, a pair of frusto-eonioal rollers for exerting a forwerd-wiping sictfinn on said margins 21 pair of innlined rollers for pressing over said margins to an apex on the upper side of said lower portion of the ring. a substantially cylindrical roller for pressing down the s am formed by the edges of the strip, an upper grooved roller for further pressing down said seam, and an under, drivon feed roller opposite said upper grooved roller.

26. In a ring-irorering apparatus, the vornbinntion of a lOfiSi' ilVUl which the ring moved, means acting on the inner side of the ring udja enl said liilSG to straighten ihe ring, a 'vlurnlity of tuolsupporting means pirntziliy mounted on the base. tools curried therein and adapted to operate on n Powering strip to form the letter about the straightened portion of the ring and means for simultaneously n'ioving said supports to separate the tools from the work.

2" [n :1 ring-rm'ering rippnrz-il'us, the i-oniliinution of menus for straightening n. pflltlflll i i u flexible. ring to permit the op oration ol tools tluzrvngniust, a friction heel for driving he ring, :1 releasable spi'ingpre ed wheel for engaging said ring and pr ssing it into fi'i -tionnl engngoun-nt with llndriving wheel. said springpressod wheel having an inoperative position when relensed permitting the insertion of the ring. and folding means for incorporating :1 strip of covering nutter-Sail with said ring.

in apparatus for marking annular the heads. lilo, mniliiuntien of nienns for cira-unii eremialiy propelling an annular tire- Sh'urhne ll'lliillfi'i l i'i. progressively Straightening successive portions of striuiuri' as it is so propelled. and a set of pressvr rollers adapted to run uponthestraightened portion of said structure.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 20th day of January, 1920.

BENJA MIN A. EVANS. IRVIN' ZWISLER. 

